When I come home from a week of traveling, there is always a pile of newspapers to be sorted through. As you might guess, I love newspapers, and consider our subscriptions to the Long Beach Press-Telegram and the Los Angeles Times to be very low-cost watchdog fees. The one lying on top of the pile was LATExtra, the AA section of the Times for Friday, April 27. Eventually I worked my way to the obits.

I seldom read the obituary section, but when it catches my eye, I become completely engrossed. I love reading the tributes to loved ones, seeing what is said when entire lives are summed up in a few lines. Do the families choose photos that were taken recently, or long ago?

The first one was for a gentleman named William George Armbruster. At one point the writer of the obituary said, "Well Bill, you finally made the 'Irish Sports page' as you called the obituary columns." I think I would have liked Bill Armbruster.

The obits are in alphabetical order, so it was a while before I had the shock of seeing a familiar name. John W. Pagliano. "Sports podiatrist, world class runner, lecturer, father, husband, brother, uncle, passed away Friday, April 20, 2012."

I don't want to give the impression that Dr. Pagliano was a close friend, although he was someone I would have been honored to know better. I saw him only a few times, as a patient of his practice of podiatry. He was an excellent doctor, someone who took time with his patients and treated them kindly. He didn't just hurry in, prescribe, and dismiss. He explained the problem, treated it, and told you what to do to prevent its return.

He was an internationally recognized specialist in sports medicine and injury prevention, and a well-known runner. In high school, inspired by Roger Bannister's 1954 world record run -- the first mile under four minutes, a feat some said would never be accomplished -- John Pagliano began running. It became a lifelong love. He is in Occidental College's Track and Field Hall of Fame as an ultra long distance runner from the class of 1962. He continued running -- this 2009 article in Running Times mentions that he was then routinely covering 45 miles a week. I recently learned that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma in 2005 -- so that adds a little more perspective. He ran over 100 marathons and ultra-marathons.

His practice of sports podiatry in Long Beach spanned over forty years. His patients included many of the rock stars of running and other sports. His articles and professional publications on the subject of injury prevention and treatment made him an icon in the field. He taught others as well, serving as a clinical instructor at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and elsewhere.

Once I went to see him was when I had been injured while training for a marathon. I was not a gazelle. I did not and do not resemble the lithe figures you picture when you say "runner." I was in that group known in running circles as a "Clydesdale." Big and slow. At the starting line, we stay back, let the racers go first, then begin our version of a marathon. It's all good. I had an excellent coach, John Loeschhorn. I could write a lot about the experience, but for now, I'll just say that I knew that running the marathon was an all-day event. My goal was to finish, not to break any records. Ideally, to finish before the course closed. I trained for months, determined to cross that line 26.2 miles from where I started.

Then came the injury. While the injury itself was painful, more overwhelming were my fears that I wouldn't be able to participate in the event. Not only did Dr. Pagliano reassure me that I'd be able to do so, he gave me good advice for staying healthy while I continued to train. When I went to see him in a follow-up visit, I confessed to him that I had a typical first-marathoner's fear that I wouldn't be able to go the distance. He asked me to tell him the farthest distance I had run in training. When I did so, he again reassured me. I can't put this into words, really -- but there was something so calm and certain in that reassurance -- he looked me right in the eye and said with a sincerity I could not doubt, "You'll do it. You'll make it."

It gave me faith that long outlasted my recovery from the injury. Many times during my training and that marathon, I thought of Dr. Pagliano. Although most of his patients were people who would have been able to run the race more than twice as fast as I did, he had never treated me as a lesser being. I was runner. I would be all right.

There are so many of us, whether Clydesdales, gazelles, athletes, or couch potatoes, who know we will be all right because of John Pagliano. I will think of him with gratitude over the distance.

8 comments:

Oh what a sad day that such a great man/doctor/surgeon/advisor passed away. He was my surgeon who when I crushed my foot in an auto accident put all the pieces back together again so that I could continue running. Once again thank you Dr. P. you are missed!

We felt the same way--he treated my freshman PVHS XC & Track daughter with care, humor and professionalism that come from a truly kind human being. May he rest in peace...and run free wherever he may be.

My son's XC coach refered us to Dr. Pagliano in April 2012. We did not have the pleasure of witnessing his expertise first hand. Sadly, he passed before the examination. However, his staff told me that he wanted to see my son due to the detailed information regarding times and PR's I sent to his office. I knew he would have done wonders for my boy. Rest in Peace Dr. Pagliano and my prayers go out to your family and friends.

I first met Dr.Pagliano in August 1985 at a Christchurch New Zealand Conference. We were the only two "Doctors of Podiatric Medicine" present. Not only a fine man but also a fine speaker. Dr. Pagliano lectured the New Zealand delegates five times over three days on the following topics: "Common Injuries to Runners". "Assessment of Stress Feactures through Thermography". "A New Approach to the Austin Bunionectomy". "The Biomechanical Orthotic". and "Stress Fractures". Dr. Pagliano still found time to participate in the Hagley Park Fun Run. My condolences to his family for this, their greatest of losses.

I just found out about Dr.Pagliano's passing this morning when I phoned his Torrance office to make an appointment. I was redirected to the office manager who gave me the sad news. Oddly enough I wanted to get in to see the doc because I have just signed up for a January 1/2 marathon with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team In Training. I had been his patient for at least 25 years but hadn't seen him for a year...what a shock. Well, you can bet that I will add Dr. Pagliano's name to my list of special people I am running in honor of, on race day and EVERY day.

I too was in need of Dr. Pagliano when i found out about this great loss. These posts are spot on. The man was humble and knew his business. I had not seen him running for a while, but thought nothing of it. I remember him saying that he ran so he could eat pasta. I suspect, with a lifetime of running, there was more to that story. Always curious and always positive.He was a runner's dream weaver!

When will your next book be out?
I'm working on a new Irene Kelly novel. Updates here and on my Facebook page.

What have you done for me lately?
A series of six mini-anthologies have been published as ebooks. They cost $1.99 each and they each include four stories: a new short story and three stories that previously appeared in Eighteen.
The six new short stories that appear in the series include two stories about Irene Kelly as a young journalism student, two about Frank Harriman as a rookie, a story about Tyler Hawthorne of The Messenger, and a story about Bunny Slye, introduced in A Study in Sherlock.

What's the most recent Irene Kelly book?
The latest Irene Kelly book is Disturbance

Do you know about the random mention of Ian in that one?
Yes. Blogged about that here.

Do you plan to write about Irene again?
Yes. Doing that now. And there are short stories about her written since Disturbance

Leave a comment here on any post. It will not be published immediately, and I won't publish it at all if you prefer I don't. I don't publish those that have your contact info (such as phone numbers or email addresses). I may not get to it right away, but I will try to be in touch soon.

Crime & Science Radio

About Me

Welcome

Tap...tap...tap...
How many times have you heard a speaker do that to a microphone, not quite believing his or her voice was being heard by the audience? You find me in a similar position, and apologizing in advance if I'm as clumsy as that speaker.

This is a place where readers can ask questions and get information about my books and stories, and where I'll be talking about subjects both related and unrelated to my writing.